


Of Curses and Burdens

by vicalily



Series: KuroTsuki Festival Week! [7]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Archaeologist!Kuroo, Curses, KUROO IS A DORK, M/M, treasure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-06-07 20:02:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15226821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vicalily/pseuds/vicalily
Summary: Kuroo had no idea what possessed him to pluck the ring from the rich purple silks it rested on.There were far grander treasures in the tomb: huge gemstones large as his fist, golden statues glittering in the low light of his torch, and piles upon piles of golden coins. Nevertheless it was the ring that caught his attention





	Of Curses and Burdens

**Ring** | Roommate | Rivalry

Kuroo had no idea what possessed him to pluck the ring from the rich purple silks it rested on.   
There were far grander treasures in the tomb: huge gemstones large as his fist, golden statues glittering in the low light of his torch, and piles upon piles of golden coins. Nevertheless it was the ring that caught his attention. It was a wide silver band with ancient ruins carved into the side, and a yellow gem set in the centre.

He couldn’t drag his eyes away.

Kuroo stepped closer, hand outstretched. It seemed to whisper to him, low and silky. _Take me up. Take me up. Take me up._

Everything faded away. He couldn’t remember ever wanting something so much.

“Yo, Kuroo! You finished cataloguing yet?”

Kuroo slipped the ring into his pocket and spun around to face Bokuto.

“Uh, sorry Bo, I got distracted.” He scratched at his head guiltily, the ring pressing like a brand against his leg.

“I know what you mean! This place is incredible!” Bokuto’s voice reverberated off the stone walls, making Kuroo wince.

There was something sinister about the temple, and despite visiting many sites that supposedly had ancient curses or spirits guarding them, it was the first time he felt genuinely unsettled. Perhaps it was the ring making him jumpy, but Kuroo could’ve sworn he felt eyes on him.

Bokuto clapped a hand on his shoulder, startling him. “Well let’s get going, we don’t have all day.”

They spent the next hour or so cataloguing the various treasures, noting down brief descriptions and tying identification tags onto any handle or carved owl foot they could see. With Bokuto beside him, laughing loudly and joking, it was easy to shake off any ill feeling and truly appreciate the awesome significance of the temple.

Kuroo was a linguist, piecing together old languages from pottery fragments, so to find an undisturbed temple with entire frescos and murals and scrolls was unbelievable. It would take him months to decipher their language, but he looked forward to the task. In fact, he already had several photos back at the hotel which he was puzzling over, scribbling out patterns in a notebook, and comparing them to other languages he knew. He was like a kid at Christmas.

They worked until the team leader, Akaashi, called in on the radio to stop work for the day. Although they were limited by funds on the expedition, there was no need to work themselves to the bone now they’d found the actual tomb. More funds would inevitably come their way when the first reports went back, but until then they tried to keep everything under wraps to minimise the chance of grave robbers or thieves. They even went to the effort of posting a night watch outside to protect their find.

They emerged from underground a short while later, squinting at the setting sun, where Akaashi had gathered the workers to congratulate them on another days work and asked for volunteers for the night shift.

“I, myself, will take a shift now the report has been sent off, any volunteers?”

Bokuto shot his hand up. “Me! I will!”

Kuroo grinned slyly and the rest of the team snickered quietly. It was a well known fact Bokuto had been crushing hard on their leader for a few years, but refused to make a move on the perpetually composed Akaashi. People had made bets on how long it would take for Bokuto to confess. One particularly savage bet suggested ’18 years’.

Akaashi glanced at Bokuto before nodding. “Thank you, Bokuto. Now everyone get back to the hotel and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

They had been dismissed but Kuroo waited to give Bokuto a meaningful look and wish him good luck. Bokuto flushed and shoved him towards the jeeps that would take them all back to the hotel. Laughing loudly, he clambered in and slammed the car door behind him, very much ready for a long sleep in a comfortable bed.

It was only when they’d all said their good nights did Kuroo remember the ring.

After locking his door behind him, he shucked off his khakis and the ring had tumbled from its hiding place, glinting on the floor. He couldn’t quite believe he’d taken it, gold or silver never held as much value to him as parchment and stone tablets did, but it had been completely irresistible. Which made the crime all the worse in Kuroo’s eyes, he was an archaeologist, not a grave robber, he couldn’t steal things that he wanted, they belonged in a museum for everyone to see. That settled his mind. First thing the next morning Kuroo would hand it over to Akaashi, apologise profusely, and offer to take the night shift for good measure.

He crouched down and scooped it off the floor, then paused. That was weird. The writing on the surface seemed familiar, though he was certain he’d never come across it before. The translation flitted through his mind.

He traced the lettering. “You are released, poor soul, from your prison cold?”

The ring began to tremble in his grip, heating like a flame until Kuroo had to drop it onto the floor. It began to glow white, growing impossibly bright and Kuroo covered his eyes.

“Ouch.”

The hell?

Kuroo blinked once. Then twice.

A blonde boy lay sprawled on the floor, clutching his head. He curled his knees up to his chest and whimpered.

“Are you... okay?” He asked because it was polite to enquire about the health of strangers who turn up in your hotel room in a magical shower of light.

The stranger turned his head to deliver an unimpressed look. “My soul was trapped inside a cursed ring for goodness knows how long, and stuffed inside a box by a person I considered a close friend. How would you be doing? Idiot.”

“Is that a no?”

“Yes it’s a no!”

He rolled back over and curled himself tighter. Kuroo wanted to help, but there wasn’t exactly a manual, ‘Caring for those trapped in Cursed Rings 101’, and he was fairly certain pain killers wouldn’t solve it. Although, he was still a person, a crazy person maybe, but still a person.

He looked down at the stranger and decided he wasn’t crazy. It was a gut feeling, but Kuroo believed that he really had been trapped.

“Painkillers?”

He stopped rocking long enough to nod and Kuroo padded over to his bedside table to scoop out his emergency box of pills. Kuroo crouched down beside him, tentatively pressing two capsules into shaking hands.

“Thank you.” He said after tossing the pills into his mouth.

“No problem, uh, you got a name?”

The stranger scowled and nodded.

“Want to tell me what it is?” He prodded sarcastically. So what if it was a crisis, there was always time for provocation.

“Tsukishima Kei.”

“Are you serious?” Kuroo gaped, open mouthed when he nodded in affirmation.

“Tsukishima Kei? The same Tsukishima Kei who wrote several dissertations on the similarities between Ancient Hitow and modern day Pitach? Hold on-“ Kuroo jumped away from a very surprised looking Tsukishima, rushed to his desk and began shoving things out the way until he found what he was looking for, and held it up “-the same Tsukishima who wrote this, my favourite book, on translating languages from the ancient world? Man you’re cool.”

Shock morphed quickly to a mocking smirk. “Calm down there fan-boy, we wouldn’t want you to embarrass yourself. Oh, wait.”

Kuroo grinned. “Normally that would be a crushing blow to my self-esteem, but I am on cloud nine right now, and refuse to be dragged down by your pettiness which sadly does not come across in writing.”

Tsukishima frowned grumpily. “I tried, but the publishers didn’t like it.”

Kuroo cackling loudly, clutching at his stomach, until Yaku, thumped on the wall telling him to “Shut the hell up, before I do it for you!”

He calmed down enough to talk to Tsukishima. “You’re funny, Tsukki.”

“Getting a little familiar there, stranger.”

“Kuroo. And I saved you from a cursed ring and gave you Painkillers so I think I’ve earned the right.”

Tsukishima looked disdainfully up at him. “If you have to.”

“Oh I absolutely do.” He said slyly, grinning smugly at his victory and the loud, suffering sigh from Tsukishima.

They sat comfortably in silence for a minute or two before Tsukishima yawned behind his hand, Kuroo noticongratulations immediately, and the problem of having a stranger pop out of a magic ring was suddenly pushed to the forefront of his mind. It was unlikely Tsukishima had any money or proof of existence in his pockets, and he had a strong sense ‘My friend here was trapped in a magic ring and has no passport’ wouldn’t fly with airport security. He decided to ask Akaashi the next morning. Akaashi knew everything.

Meanwhile it felt only fair that Tsukishima take the bed for the night. He seemed suddenly exhausted, eyelids heavy and frame slumped against the wall.

“C’mon, Tsukki, bed time.”

Tsukishima leant forward then frowned. “I can’t remember how to get up.”

His chest squeezed momentarily in panic, but Tsukki wriggled his toes so Kuroo assumed he hadn’t suffered any spinal damage. How long had he been trapped?

He crouched down next to Tsukishima, and slid his arms under his shoulders and legs, lifting him gently. Geez he was light. “Guess I’ll have to carry you then.”

Ignoring sleepy protests, he laid Tsukishima, who already looked half asleep (and ridiculously beautiful) on top of the covers. He shuffled Tsukki’s long limbs until he was tucked under the thick duvet, and by that time he was dead to the world.

Kuroo vaguely remembered seeing a photo of Tsukishima once, on the back cover of one of his books probably, bespectacled and serious looking. Despite knowing him for about five minutes he can honestly say he preferred how Tsukki looked now, all soft edges and breathing out little sighs in his sleep, but hiding the razor sharp with and glittering intelligence beneath.

He knew he shouldn’t have, but he ran his fingers through his soft blonde curls, marvelling at their soft texture. Boy that was creepy. Reluctantly he withdrew to the stiff chair by the desk, sitting on it back to front and using his folded arms as a pillow. It was uncomfortable, but he obviously couldn’t trust himself near Tsukki.

Exhaustion slammed into him like a wave, pulling him under helplessly, with just enough energy to flick off the only lamp in the room. It had been a long day, and he nodded off almost immediately, soothed by Tsukishima’s even breaths.

* * *

He awoke to screaming.

Terrified, heart wrenching screams that sent his heart racing as he leapt clumsily out the chair. He flicked on the lamp and stumbled over to Tsukishima thrashing on the bed.

He reached out and pulled Tsukishima forcefully into his chest, one hand cradling the back of his head, the other looped around his shoulders. Kuroo cooed quietly as Tsukishima sobbed, tears sliding down his cheeks and muttering ‘Don’t want to go back, don’t want to go back, don’t want to go back.’

Kuroo only held him tighter. “It’s okay, you’re safe.”

“It was so dark.” He whispered, gaze dull and vacant as if he were remembering a time gone past, and Kuroo assumed he wasn’t talking about the hotel room. He was surprised Tsukishima was telling him anything, he seemed the sort to build walls around himself, rather than let people in.

“You’re okay now. We’ll leave the light on all night long and in the morning we’ll figure out how to get you home, okay?”

Tsukishima squeezed his arms around Kuroo’s chest, and nodded into his neck, the soft hair tickling his shoulder.

“Okay.”

Tension leaked from Tsukishima’s frame as he drifted back to sleep and Kuroo’s heart rate finally slowed down. He didn’t dare move away, levering them both down onto the mattress with great care, and pulling Tsukishima closer still.

He stayed awake for the rest of the night, in case Tsukishima woke again, only daring to close his eyes when the sun peaked above the horizon, spilling orange light into the room. Tsukishima had whimpered and fidgeted, but remained asleep the whole night through, so Kuroo felt safe having a quick nap. Just a few minutes. Maybe half an hour.

When he jerked awake two hours later, Tsukki was gone, a scribbled note on hotel stationary in his place.

He scanned the note, smiling sadly. He had been thanked, obviously, for releasing him, but it seemed Tsukishima wasn’t ready to go home with him just yet. 

Silly Tsukishima, didn’t he know Kuroo would do anything he asked without thinking? If Tsukishima wanted to stay out here, in the land of ruins away from civilisation, he would gladly do so as long as Tsukishima was by his side. It was no lie he’d fallen in love with the words written in his books, they had shaped him, and they were Tsukishima.

He flipped down the covers and stuffed his feet into his shoes. Not bothering to shower or brush his teeth he opened his door and turned to the one next to him, hammering his hand on the flimsy wood.

Yaku threw open the door with a disgruntled “What the hell do you want?”

Kuroo’s face was pleading and serious all at once. “I need a favour...”

* * *

Tsukishima needed to see this place himself to convince himself waking up was not a dream.  
He could remember being frozen, immobile, trapped in the dark but awake every moment. Forced into consciousness for 12 years, as far as he could tell, with nothing to do except replay the image of his best friend locking him away in the wooden chest, and leaving him alone.

Not that Yamaguchi could have known what he was doing, and he had searched for Tsukishima for several weeks before giving up, but it was still hard. He had called to him, loudly, but Yamaguchi had never turned his way. Then everything was dark, until Kuroo came.

Waking that morning with Kuroo wrapped around him had pushed tears of joy from his eyes. Another person. Another person wrapped around his human legs and toes and fingers. An intelligent, kind person who was willing to take him home having known him for maybe ten minutes, and soothed him through the night terror he suffered. It was more difficult than he cared to admit to leave that morning, but it had to be done. He couldn’t let himself be a burden after Kuroo had set him free of the living nightmare he suffered. He owed Kuroo too much already.

“Thought I’d find you here.”

Tsukishima spun around, slightly wobbly because his legs weren’t cooperating like they used to, and there was Kuroo, casually leaning up against the entrance to the treasure store, a pleased smirk curling his lips.

“What are you-“

“Following you of course, Tsukki, because-“ he pushed himself the doorway and stepped closer to Tsukishima “-it came to my attention via written note that you intended to leave me behind. Obviously this is unacceptable. Wherever you go, I plan on following.”

Tsukishima opened his mouth to protest, but Kuroo placed a finger over his lips.

“This is non-negotiable I’m afraid, Tsukki.”

He wanted to say no, or rather he knew he should say no, but the words wouldn’t come. He had been alone for so long, and he craved the warm touch of Kuroo’s hands through his hair (definitely wasn’t asleep at that point) and his sharp wit and sly smiles. He wanted to talk dead languages with him and catch up on the world he left. He knew what he _should_ say, but all he said was: “Okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so behind >. <  
> It's so rushed I'm sorry, but I'm determined to finish the week on time :))


End file.
